Blood Confession

Priests versus police

It’s priests versus police as these long established institutions collide when an old murder investigation is re-opened. Two priests arrive at the local police station to sign some papers and report vandalism only to find they are to be interrogated for a crime which happened in their care many years ago. Nick Awde’s play explores the hypocritical nature of the alleged corruption within both the church and our justice system. He examines the opposing meaning of confession within both institutions, which in the church is a route to absolution but in law leads to conviction.

It looks at abuse, hypocrisy, bureaucracy and deceit. Unfortunately, this production lacks consistency as the cast stumble over the opening scenes, seemingly in a hurry to reach the semi-predictable dramatic climax. Sadly this is overplayed as the actors slip into caricatures making the graphic violence seem gratuitous and almost laughable at points where the fighting is not entirely convincing and the blocking becomes awkward. It’s an intriguing concept nonetheless.